To Glimpse Your Smile
by The Corrupted Typer
Summary: To everyone else she was cold and withdrawn. Her frown had been her only defining feature for so long, it appeared her lips had forgotten how to curve. But she allowed him, just once, to glimpse her smile; and that single moment would forever change his world. Annie/Eren. Series of One-shots.
1. Chapter 1 - There Was One, Once

Chapter 1: There Was One, Once

_A/N: This one shot was actually inspired by a picture I saw on Deviantart a while back. If I ever find the link, I'll be sure to put it up here._

* * *

A large smile grew across Hanji's features.

"Oh, look at all the happy couples!" she squealed, fists shaking. "Humanity will repopulate in no time with this amount of hormones swirling around the room!"

Her smile widened, and a nearby Eren tensed. Levi let out a deep breath of air and set his cup on the table. "Quit rejoicing, Hanji, there is no point," he told her.

She swiveled around on the bench and peered at him, head tilted slightly to the side.

"What is a better reason to celebrate than the growth of humanity?" she asked.

Her nails started to tap together in in her lap as she peered at him, twitching slightly in her seat. To any stranger these movements would be frightening, but for him they only served to annoy.

His eyes narrowed. "Many of them will be dead before any 'repopulating,' can take place."

The words were nearly spat. He picked up his tea, and took another sip.

Eren, who had heard everything from his seat, shifted and took a gulp of his own drink. Levi' allowed himself a look over of the room. Hanji was truthful; from what he could see there were many people mingling together, holding hands, hugging, sitting closer on the bench than you would with a friend or relative. Perhaps some of them were an exception, but he could assume that many of them were indeed 'couples.'

Suddenly his tea went cold, and he slowly set the cup down on the table.

"What about you, Eren?"

Hanji turned to him and leaned across the table. Eren looked up and blinked, glass frozen in hand. Hanji stared back at him,

"Has anyone ever made your hormones rage?"

Eren stiffened in his seat, going pale. Levi sighed.

"Hanji," He called.

She let a small gasp and turned towards him, eyes wide. His own narrowed at her.

"Stop pestering everyone with such questions," he told her. "It is _very_ irritating."

She blinked, but before she could react, Eren shuffled in his seat and cleared his voice, catching their attention. Hanji darted around. Levi turned as well, brows slightly raised.

Eren propped his head in his hand and looked out across the sea of people in the room. He took in a slow deep breath, and seemed to relax.

"Well, there was this one person who made feel… different."

_-..-_

"But hey, am I a good kicker or what?"

He chuckled.

"I picked it up from watching you at it, but it worked out great, I'll say," he told her.

The girl swiveled around to look at him, meeting him directly in the eye. Her brows rose ever so slightly,but the rest of her features remained cold and unreadable. His smile fell at the look.

She let a short, quick snort. "That was _hopeless." _She told him. "A complete train - wreck."

His mouth gaped. She turned away from him, and took a step forward in the other direction, towards the exit.

"Wh- " he started, taking a step towards her, He stopped, staring at her back. "Where did I get it wrong?"

She froze, and slowly turned back around. She was slow in the movement, and such and action made the anticipation building inside him grow. She looked at him for a long moment, and for a brief second he saw a flicker of surprise behind her blue eyes.

For the first, and only time; he saw a genuine, tiny smile grace her features. He sucked in a breath. Her mouth parted, and a flash of white shown. He froze, enraptured by the tiny glint of her white teeth, shimmering in the sun. Then her lips closed, and her smile diminished,; but it still remained, and he could not look away from such a sight. Annie never smiled, but she had for him, just that once.

"If you like that technique so much," the words were slow and stretched out to him, being distracted by the curve of her lips. "Maybe I can teach it to you,"

She swiveled around, and strode away.

_-..-_

But no matter how many times he remembered her smile, how many times he pictured that bright glimmer that ran along her teeth, it always came back to the other Annie, and he would forever envision her laughing and twitching at the top of those stairs instead of the beautiful smile she gave him that day. In place of Annie, he would always see the titan.

'_It wasn't funny, Annie,' _

But her laughter rang through his head, clear as if she were right in front of him, performing the act herself. He grimaced. That, too, was burned into his memory.

'_So why were you laughing?'_

He looked up, and saw someone's skeletal white knuckles wrapped around his cup. His eyes widened, and he slowly relaxed, letting go of the glass. It rocked back and forth on the table.

He exhaled, and glanced to Hanji. "But… things didn't turn out the way they should have," he told her. "I was always so focused on killing the titans, I never paid attention to my own feelings.

He shrugged casually, and glanced down at the table, suddenly solemn.

His lips pursed. "I guess it's too late now."


	2. Chapter 2 - Endless Masquerading Part 1

Chapter 2: Endless Masquerading Part 1

_A/N: Long time no update._

_Anyway, I think I should take the time to explain something I forget to add in to the previous chapter. _

_This is a series of one-shots revolving around Annie and Eren - both together and alone, though at this point I can say most of them will involve them being together. That being said, updates will be very sporadic, and I can't tell you when the next one will be. It could be anywhere from a day to months. _

_**This particular ****one-shot** is part one of two of an AU._

_And huge thanks to all who reviewed! They are incredibly helpful, and very much so appreciated._

* * *

"Come on, Eren, let's get out of here."

Eren hissed, and pulled away from the door. He'd been so close to hearing what they were saying, but their words were drowned out by Reiner's loud drawl.

"Damn it, Reiner!" He yelled. "I was trying to hear them speak!" he hissed through clenched teeth.

His hands balled at his sides. He hated when he was paired with Reiner on night time clean up duty. Despite his overall good characteristics and generally enjoyable company, Reiner only wanted to get the job done and go, not allowing Eren anytime to listen to what the actors were saying.

Reiner stopped and looked back at him. A wide grin stretched across his face.

"What, were you trying to listen to them again?" he asked, and chuckled. "Whoops, my bad."

Eren's brows knitted together. '_I was so close,' _

"If you had waited _one more second_ I would have heard what they were saying!" He hissed.

His nails dug into the palms of his hands, but it was such a familiar feeling he didn't even notice it. Reiner continued to smile, but he must have seen his clenched fists, because the smile abruptly disappeared, and suddenly Eren was staring at a much more serious looking Reiner.

Reiner's brows furrowed.

"If it really means that much to you, I know someone you can eavesdrop on," he told him.

Eren blinked. His eyes slowly narrowed.

"What do you mean? There are other actors still here?" he demanded.

Reiner grinned. "Not actors, but she works with the company. She does all of the music stuff."

He looked back and forth, as if peering down the halls to make sure no one was there, before turning back around and motioning for him to follow. Eren's brows furrowed, but he followed as Reiner disappeared around a corner. Whatever Reiner had in mind was better than anything else he could do.

"Did you say she works with music?" he asked.

They rounded a corner and came to a hallway almost identical to the one they'd passed through, only this one was pitch black. Reiner frowned and walked over to the wall, feeling it with his hand. After a moment Eren heard a click, and the hall was illuminated.

Reiner nodded, satisfied with the lighting, and waved Eren forward.

"Yeah, the piano." Reiner told him, before continuing down the hall.

He strode forward. His head swiveled from side to side as they walked. In the dark the hall had looked the same as all the others, but in the light he saw that it lacked the numerous doors the other halls had. Each hall was supposed to be lined with doors for all the actors there, but he'd only seen one, at the very beginning of the hall.

His brows furrowed. "How do you know about this place?" he asked, and his frown deepened. "Is this even on the map of the building?"

"It's somewhere on there," he said without looking at him. "Her room's at the end of the hall. It should be coming up soon,"

Eren's brows furrowed further. He hadn't stepped foot down this hall, he hadn't even passed it. It was practically right next to their cleaning route, yet he didn't know of its existence until now. He tensed. He wasn't entirely sure why, but the realization made him very uncomfortable.

Reiner slowed for a brief moment. "Hey, look! There's her door, right at the end, like I said,"

Eren squinted. '_How can he see through this?' _Even with the lights on it was nearly pitch black, and Eren had to squint just to see where he was putting his feet.

A tear in the carpet caught his foot and pulled him forward. He tripped, and stumbled towards the floor.

"Aghh!" He shook the rug from his foot and managed to regain his balance before face planting the carpet, but by the time he'd done so Reiner had already whirled around and was offering a helping hand.

By then, of course, he didn't need it, and he shook his head at Reiner's outstretched hand.

"You must have night vision or something to see through this stuff," Eren told him as they started walking forward again.

He heard Reiner chuckle. "Nah, I just know the way." He stopped abruptly, and Eren's eyebrows shot up. Reiner reached forward and began fumbling with something - to Eren's surprise, it was a door knob.

"Oh, and you might want to keep it down once we're in there. She can get real bitchy when you interrupt her music." Reiner smirked, and Eren blinked.

In an instant the door was open, and in the next instant they were in a room completely foreign to Eren. He craned his neck towards the ceiling.

"Woah," he exclaimed. "This room is huge! Who would need so much space?"

A high, thin note resonated through the air, followed by a stream of keys that rushed through the room. Eren's head arched forward and he looked to Reiner, who was motioning for him to come forward with a finger to his lips.

He closed his mouth and stepped forward, doing his best to stay quiet. He could hear his footsteps even while pressing them as lightly to the ground as possible, and he assumed who ever was playing would have been able to as well, if it weren't for the loud, reverberating piano that covered his tracks. He looked around.

A long curtain blocked his view of the player. The dark black drapes - nearly as dark as the hallway outside, Eren noted with a twinge of irony - extended from ceiling to floor, with no cracks in between. Even so, a strand of light was visible farther along the drapes, and Reiner seemed to be heading that way.

Reiner slowed to a stop at the end of the room, and by then Eren was anxious to see just who this person was. '_There not an actor, but they've probably got some stage advice that could help!' _he told himself. '_Besides, Reiner said they worked with the company, so they've got to have met tons of actors!'_

Reiner peeled the curtain away from the wall and ushered Eren forward, urging him towards the light filled room he'd yet to see.

The music was in the back of his mind, blinded by his goal of seeing this amazing musician. At the end of a massive black piano was a tiny head of light blonde hair half hidden behind the instrument. Her head arched up, and he was amazed at the clarity of her eyes. He sucked in a breath, amazed. Suddenly, he realized, he could see their eyes all too well, and the next moment the music he'd barely noticed faded into a very prominent nothingness.

Their light blue eyes sharpened, and a small rigid form stood from the piano, staring right into the darkness he wished he'd stayed closer to.

She spoke with a calm chill that spooked him.

"I know you're there."


	3. Chapter 3 - Two Lives

Chapter 3: Two Lives

_A/N: Annie centric one-shot. Also, NOT part two of the AU posted in the last chapter. Sorry, that one's still coming. _

_And again, huge thanks to everyone that reviewed! :)_

* * *

Most humans lived a simple life. It was hard not to, bound by meter tall walls that blocked off any hatred or terror that lived beyond. The walls were their shields, their blocks against the things they didn't want to know. The knowledge of the outside was too horrifying for them to comprehend.

She wanted to laugh, and cry, and run away and _hide. _She looked to the walls looming high above, as her head arched back and laughter rolled out her mouth. Even from the center of the city they were visible.

'_A lie,' _she thought. '_A lie that only serves to make people believe they're safe,'_

They had all lived such simple lives. They lived in peace, with nothing more than food prices and crime rates to worry about.

Her brow wrinkled. A part of her wanted to become angry at that, but the laughter was overpowering.

'_They forget,' _she realized. '_That the horror of humanity lies within the walls.'_

Her smile died, and her arms fell to her sides. It felt wrong to smile, frowning seemed more rightful, given the death everyone had been seeing as of late. Her shoulders tensed. Her fingers unraveled, falling against her thighs.

She looked down at them, the humans. Her gaze hardened at that. They all looked so fearful, even Mikasa.

Her eyes narrowed at the girl. She was always strong, always calm and collected.

'_That is almost admirable,' _she thought. Her mouth twisted. '_If it wasn't so fake. So forced and untrue.'_

Hate churned within her.

In that instant she was Annie, and with a single clap of lightning she was the _titan._

She slouched for a moment. Her eyes darted up, peering through a prison of short, blonde wisps. She straightened; her arms swung forward in a familiar motion, bringing any fighters still remaining on the buildings to a stumbling fall or a crushing death. She let her feet do all the damage to the remainder on the ground.

She stood back from the carnage, blood tracing lines across her fingers. She stopped, back arched, and glanced down.

Her eyes narrowed to daggers. '_Eren,' _

She didn't want to kill them, but her body moved against her will, even as she watched them disappear beneath the city. Her feet shifted in response, and she leaped across the buildings.

Wires hissed in the distance, and she turned her head out of habit. Humans appeared and disappeared above the buildings, like flies buzzing in the distance. She watched them for a moment, then looked away, instead focusing in on the pounding of her feet as she ran forward.

'_I wonder… if they can hear… me coming...' _She slowed, allowing herself to skid to stop. She knelt down, careful to avoid the buildings, and rested her head against the ground. She could make out, just barely, the softest pitter-patter.

She raised a hand, and placed carefully over the ground. '_I wonder… if they can anticipate… My next move.'_

She tore apart the cobblestone like it was dirt crumbling between her fingers.

In an instant she knew she'd killed _someone, _but it obviously wasn't the right person. Her eyes narrowed in frustration as she made another hole in the surface, digging for humans like a child dug for worms. '_Failure. You couldn't find him in the forest, and you can't find him now.'_

She stopped, rage boiling. She withdrew her hand from the ground, allowing them some time to scurry and panic, ignoring the thoughts in her head that told her to _destroy. _

'_Such a simple life. Such a simple endeavor.' _

She leaned back onto her heels.

'_All I have to do… Is take him.' _

Her eyelids fluttered. She was so _tired. _The zips of wires in the distance were growing louder, though she ignored it. It was nothing more than background noise to a bloodbath.

She twisted around, back to the hole in the ground she'd created. She could hear them scurrying, even as she stood so high above them. She heard Eren, then Mikasa. Suddenly Armin was squealing, and she silently wondered what scheme her manipulative male counterpart was attempting to think up. Her fingers curled at the thought.

Armin had always been smart, that was apparent from the first day in the classroom. She leaned forward, fists raised.

Yet, she'd always thought, not smart enough for her.

She set her fist to the ground and smashed through the center of the cobblestone.

Mikasa was free, then Armin. It was the black haired girl that came for her, zipping by like the pests in the distance that had still yet to come.

She smiled, though she didn't feel it.

Everything had come to this. The titan, the forest, Mikasa, Armin, Eren…

She stood, falling into her stance.

She had lived her life as Annie, she had lived her life as the titan.

Her fists, balled perfectly, raised to her face. A bolt of lightning came down from the sky, and there he was; Eren. His movements were sluggish at first, but once his eyes found her the hate was in him, and he screamed. She closed her eyes at the gust of wind that blasted her face, and opened them to see him charging towards her.

He threw the first punch, and she swung up. A sinister crunch sounded as her fist collided with his jaw, and she watched it veer to the side. His pupils circled around, and he looked at her with hatred.

Her eyes narrowed. '_You led me to this.'_

They released each other, and in the next moment they came at each other. They met with a resounding _smash._

She had lived her life as Annie, she had lived her life as the titan.

She skidded along the ground, crumbling beneath Eren's weight.

And today, they lived as one_._


	4. Chapter 4 - Two Deaths

Chapter 4: Two Deaths

_A/N: Semi-continuation of the last chapter. Annie centric. Also, still not part two of Endless Masquerading. That's still in the making, sorry. And as always, huge thanks to everyone that reviewed._

* * *

'_I'm losing...' _

Another fist caught her in the jaw. Everything was hazy and blurry, spinning around her. Her mind grasped her imminent death with slippery fingers, not quite being able to wrap around it. Another blow, to her shoulder, then another to her head, and then a flurry. It was all so distant, her physical state from her mental state. All she knew was that she was dying.

Piece by piece, she was slowly falling apart. Her hands flew up in an attempt to defend herself, but they were battered away with a fierce blow that rendered them useless. Her large blue eyes glazed over. Her body was falling apart, just as her mind was.

'_Both parts of myself...'_

The realization hit her hard, and suddenly she was moving frantically, looking for an escape from the inevitable doom approaching her,

She looked around. Tiny humans in tan leather jackets swarmed around her, some even flying above her head. She turned her head to the right, and was met with the wall. Panic rose inside of her.

Eren roared, and swung his fist down towards her chest. Her arms flung up, nearly regenerated, and crystallized.

For a moment she was stuck that way, staring into his eyes. The hate that lay there nearly made her flinch.

He was completely and utterly disgusted by her; no, enraged. The anger his blows came with crushed her in more ways than one, and she felt the sinking feeling of falling once again. A tear rose to her eye.

An image flashed in her mind, and she remembered how she'd begun fighting.

She recoiled, despite all the pain and restraints put on her. '_Father...' _

The tear spilled down her cheek, even as her chest was beaten bloody.

'_Eren...'_

She looked up at him then, his face void of any mercy or kindness, any caring or feeling. Her fingers twitched, and she felt within herself for any feeling, any strength she may have retained.

Her shoulder's collapsed into bloody smithereens, staining her tear marred face as the droplets poured down her cheeks. '_Forgive me, father...' _She could hear them all around her, the pesky bugs that would soon take her and everything she held dear. Her throat tightened. '_I have failed you in both lives. I have failed you as a titan, and I have failed you… as your daughter.'_

The wall crumbled beside her. She reached up a hand, still staring into Eren's face, remembering when those eyes had invited her, when those hands had waved to her from across the lunch room instead of crushing her slowly. She sobbed, taking him by the upper arm. He didn't even flinch. He was too intent on the kill, too absorbed in his hate. After all, her grip wasn't stopping him from using his fists.

'_Eren...'_

He roared again, flesh smoldering. She remembered his voice, his human one. She remembered him calling across the courtyard to friends. She'd heard him long before she'd spoken to him herself. She remembered, most of all, those few rare times where _she _had been the friend he'd called to.

She shook, tears falling freely down her face. She raised another hand, and grasped him by neck, beginning to here the first shouts of worry from surrounding soldiers.

'_I'm sorry I was unable to be the cold, uncaring girl you knew...'_

His fist raised, and she braced herself for another punch. She remembered, not to long ago, when their positions had been reversed. She'd taught him how to fight, and for the first time in her life, she'd met someone equal to her. Not in personality, she knew. Their differences there were more than blatant. But in something different, something that exhilarated her, thought she'd never admitted it. He'd cared more than Bert and Reiner ever had about perfecting a single move.

She smiled, all the while crying.

'_Most of all, though...'_

The punch hit her hard, bloodying an eye and leaving her half blind. She sucked in a breath, wondering what the world would be like afterwards, in the place she was preparing to put herself in. Her fingers tightened around his neck.

He turned her onto her back and latched onto her neck, ripping it open. For a moment her senses faltered, switching between the human and the titan.

'_I'm sorry I'll have to ruin your plan.'_

With her last ounces of strength, she took a hold of his neck and crystallized, feeling the surge of cold going not only along the titan this time, but through herself, through Annie. In her last moments she opened her eyes as Annie, and watched a world of white overcome her.

She has lived two lives, and she'd died two times for both of them.

'_It's been fun.'_


End file.
